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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23579374">Can We Pretend?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/'>Anonymous</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Big Bang (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Favorite Trope Challenge, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Oblivious Choi Seunghyun, Unrequited Crush, it's complicated - Freeform, not really - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 22:00:55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,015</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23579374</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Saturday, October 17th 2020. 19:44</p><p> </p><p>  <em>Daesung, please be my boyfriend.</em></p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Choi Seunghyun | T.O.P./Kang Daesung</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Anonymous</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Saturday</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Saturday, October 17<sup>th</sup> 2020. 19:23</p>
<p>
  <em>Please say yes?</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In any other situation, Daesung would say yes immediately. After all, what to do when the person you’ve been crushing on for the past four years asked you to be his boyfriend? And it’s not like he’s ever immuned to Seunghyun’s puppy eyes. Hell, that was actually one of the reason why he fell in love with him. There were countless dreams about him that he never dared to tell anyone, not even wrote them down for himself. There were definitely infinite amount of hope that he’d ever hear him ask the question one day, but –</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Saturday, October 17<sup>th</sup> 2020. 19:44</p>
<p>
  <em>Daesung, please be my boyfriend.</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>No. <em>No</em>. Not like this.</p>
<p>“Fuck,” Daesung throws his phone carelessly, watching it bounces on the bed once before landing on his floor. There might be cracks and scratches now. Maybe it’ll be completely destroyed so there’s no way for Seunghyun to contact him ever again.</p>
<p>Just his luck, his phone starts ringing.</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“Daesung –”</p>
<p>“No.”</p>
<p>“Daesung.”</p>
<p>“I said no, Seunghyun,” palm on his chest to stop his heart from breaking. “That was ridiculous, you know that.”</p>
<p>“I –I know,” Seunghyun sounds desperate, which is exactly how Daesung wants him to feel. He can see the older man furrowing his brows,  biting his lower lip in frustration. In addition to that, he will start clenching and unclenching his fist. “But I can’t ask anyone else.”</p>
<p>“Because you’re not supposed to!” Daesung shouts, thankful that he’s living alone in  not so crowded building.</p>
<p>“Yeah,  I –I was... I didn’t mean that.”</p>
<p><em>Liar</em>, Daesung almost calls him out on that. <em>You meant every word</em>.</p>
<p>“Just –Daesung...think about it? We still have a week –”</p>
<p>“This is not a <em>we</em>, situation, Seunghyun.”</p>
<p>“I –Okay.”</p>
<p>“Okay?”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Seunghyun laughs bitterly. Daesung can picture that one too; eyes crinkling weird and his mouth turns upside wrongly like he’s just tasting gravel. “There’s –there’s nothing I could do, right?”</p>
<p>Daesung shakes his head. “You could’ve just tell him how you feel.”</p>
<p>“He has someone already, Daesung.”</p>
<p>“And?”</p>
<p>“...Would you do that?”</p>
<p>“Do what, Seunghyun? Tell him that I have a boyfriend eventhough I don’t?”</p>
<p>There’s a pause for five seconds before Seunghyun finally says, “Tell your best friend that you love them eventhough you know that he’ll never love you the same way?”</p>
<p>“I –”</p>
<p>“I can’t, Daesung. I –I can’t lose him as a friend too...”</p>
<p>“Maybe you won’t.”</p>
<p>“How do you know that?”</p>
<p>Truth is, Daesung doesn’t. He’s just as sure as Seunghyun that confessing love to someone who doesn’t love him the same way will do damage to whatever relationship they previously had. He has the same reason as Seunghyun in why he can’t shout his love from the rooftop. <em>Hypocrite</em>, he tells himself. <em>Pathetic</em>.</p>
<p>“Seunghyun –”</p>
<p>“All he said was that –that he’s coming back to town. For three days, just three <em>fucking</em> days, okay? And I –and I was so <em>so </em>happy, I –I thought this was the chance, the last chance, and –and then he told me that he’s with someone and he wanted –he <em>fucking</em> wanted for us to go on double date, I –I...I can’t tell him, Daesung. I can’t.”</p>
<p>The sound of a heart breaking is a deafening one and it travels through time and space if it’s coming from the person you care about. That’s why love is dangerous. That’s why love is a war. It’s no shield, it’s a fucking double edged sword.</p>
<p>“Help me, Daesung.”</p>
<p>“Seunghyun –”</p>
<p>“Please.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They met four years ago in a creative writing class. It was spring and the class was so boring, half of the students would fall asleep through the lectures. It was the best class for someone with side dream of being a writer like Daesung. It was one form of a torture for someone trying to pass a grade like Seunghyun.</p>
<p>Eventually, they got paired for a project so ridiculous but that was not the point. The point was that the moment he landed his eyes on Seunghyun, all goofy smile and halfway to dreamland, Daesung knew that he’s fucked.</p>
<p>“Choi Seunghyun, here for free naps and dreaming about having good grade to pass this –,” he made gestures with his hand. “–hell of a college.”</p>
<p>“Kang Daesung,” the brunette replies. “I –I like writing.”</p>
<p>Seunghyun’s eyes widened a bit and his smile softened but not unkindly. “Well, here’s to hoping we’ll get through whatever this is?”</p>
<p>Daesung reads the topic for their project. “To pass whatever <em>summer collection</em> ‘s supposed to mean.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They made it through. Their writing consisted of weird amount of drama, taking theme of Roman and Greek Gods with stupid additional modern elements and a shitty plot but they made it through. It was a fun two months and Daesung didn’t realize how deep he’d fallen for the other guy.</p>
<p>“You up for lunch?”</p>
<p>Daesung blinked in confusion. “Seunghyun?”</p>
<p>“Yep, that’s the one. Wanna hit the burger place I know?”</p>
<p>“What –what are you doing here?”</p>
<p>Seunghyun laughed. “I’m a student here too?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, but –but you’re not in the same class as mine?”</p>
<p>“I saw you,” Seunghyun shrugs. “So, wanna go on a friendly date with me or not?”</p>
<p>“What?!”</p>
<p>“Seriously, you’re cute.”</p>
<p>“I’m not,” Daesung pouts at him. “Go fuck yourself.”</p>
<p>“Manner, Sir? I’m still the senior here.”</p>
<p>“Oops, sorry, old man.”</p>
<p>“Daesung,” Seunghyun shakes his head amusedly. “What am I gonna do with you?”</p>
<p>“Thought you asked me on a date?”</p>
<p>“Friendly date, you know –whatever. Burger and fries, my treat, yes or no?”</p>
<p>“Just because you asked nicely, Seunghyun. Just because you asked nicely.”</p>
<p>“Asshole, aren’t you, Daesung?”</p>
<p>“The best one, buddy.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Sunday</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Daesung –”</p>
<p>“Say –” he has to make himself rooted on the spot or else he’ll fly as far as he can. It’s Sunday morning and it’s really cold outside, not to mention his nerve at taking this decision for his life. “ –if, <em>if</em> this worked...what’s gonna happen?”</p>
<p>“I –I don’t know,” Seunghyun looks downward. “I have no idea what I’m doing.”</p>
<p>“Neither do I, Seunghyun.”</p>
<p>“But –but you’re...”</p>
<p>“Here?” Daesung scoffs. “Yeah, I am.”</p>
<p>Seunghyun reaches out to hold his hand. “Thank you, Daesung.”</p>
<p>“Don’t thank me yet, idiot.”</p>
<p>“Thank you for not letting me into this alone.”</p>
<p>It’s almost winter and life’s so boring. Maybe he’ll make through this one too, Daesung wonders as he enters Seunghyun’s place. Maybe he won’t fall as deep this time. Maybe, just maybe, this is the bottom of the pit and he’ll find the goddamn door to get out of this alive.</p>
<p>Hopefully that.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> “So.”</p>
<p>“Out with it, Seunghyun.”</p>
<p>Seunghyun grins sheepishly. “So what are we gonna do?”</p>
<p>“Oh, I don’t know. I’m just gonna sit here savoring my orange juice and enjoying Netflix while the person who came up with this stupid idea made up his mind about what are <em>we</em> gonna do, that’s it.”</p>
<p>“Daesung,” Seunghyun ruffles his hair. “Seriously, man, I have no idea.”</p>
<p>“And you expect me to have any?”</p>
<p>“Then why are you here?”</p>
<p><em>I don’t know</em>, Daesung thinks. <em>You said please and all I knew was that I wanted to do whatever you asked me to.</em></p>
<p>“I don’t know, Seunghyun.”</p>
<p>Seunghyun lets it go and for a while it’s just silence between them. It’s not uncomfortable one though, it’s never uncomfortable. Seunghyun, for all his small talks and stupid ideas, could pull a quiet moment that made you think the world would somehow be okay. That there’s nothing wrong to be basked in no sound and no thoughts.</p>
<p>“I’m glad you’re here,” he says eventually. “Thanks.”</p>
<p>“You better.”</p>
<p>“I really am, Daesung,” Seunghyun drapes his arm casually on Daesung’s shoulder and the younger man’s heart skips a beat. “You’re the best of friend anyone could ever ask.”</p>
<p>“I’m <em>not</em> your best friend.”</p>
<p>“You’re my best friend <em>right now</em>.”</p>
<p>Daesung pinches his thigh. “We need to do something so that your <em>real</em> best friend won’t find out the truth about us.”</p>
<p>“He’ll like you,” Seunghyun reaches for his glass. “He’s going to dote over you.”</p>
<p>“Because I’m your boyfriend?” Daesung mentally smacks himself for his own mistake. “Because I’m your <em>pretend </em>boyfriend?”</p>
<p>“Nah, Jiyong is just...like that.”</p>
<p>“Oh, is he?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, he’s –,” there’s a glint in Seunghyun’s eyes that forces Daesung to look away for the sake of his own feeling. “He’s great.”</p>
<p>“...He’s your best friend after all.”</p>
<p>“Hopefully I’m still his.”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“You know,” Seunghyun tries to shrug nonchalantly but he’s not fooling anyone, least of all, Daesung. “He has someone now.”</p>
<p>“Doesn’t mean he thinks less about you, Seunghyun.”</p>
<p>“I can’t help that thought.”</p>
<p>“Stop,” Daesung clences his hand so he won’t hold the older man and makes worse of the current situation. <em>He has his own heart to tend, dammit</em>. “Don’t hurt yourself.”</p>
<p>Seunghyun looks at him and for a moment, it feels like something sparks in the air. “Thank God you’re here.”</p>
<p><em>Where else am I gonna be?</em> Daesung doesn’t say.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Tell me about you.”</p>
<p>Seunghyun stops chewing abruptly. “Me?”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Daesung stabs his potato like it contains all the sin in the world. “We’re supposed to be dating, aren’t we?”</p>
<p>“Uh-huh.”</p>
<p>“So tell me about you, what am I supposed to know about you.”</p>
<p>“You...know me?”</p>
<p>“Seunghyun,” Daesung puts his chopstick down. “At this rate, even <em>me</em> won’t believe that we’re dating.”</p>
<p>“Daesung,” Seunghyun rolls his eyes. “You know me.”</p>
<p>“What do I know about you?”</p>
<p>“What do you know about me?” Seunghyun smiles. “Coffee?”</p>
<p>“Lots of cream.”</p>
<p>“Hmm.”</p>
<p>“Or black, lots of sugar. Disgusting.”</p>
<p>“Movies?”</p>
<p>“Cartoons? Drama. Period drama, no wonder you’re a dramatic asshole.”</p>
<p>“Food?</p>
<p>“Sweets,” Daesung grimaces. “Dessert for the rest of your life if you’re ever granted a wish.”</p>
<p>“Interest?”</p>
<p>“Anything from art to plain converse shoes. All over the place, aren’t you a mess?”</p>
<p>Seunghyun makes face at him. “Dislikes?”</p>
<p>“Watermelon for a sad reason.”</p>
<p>“What is that?”</p>
<p>“You accidentally swallowed its seeds when you were five and you believed for years that it’d eventually grow inside you.”</p>
<p>“Things I want right now?”</p>
<p>“For the sake of the universe, you’re not getting another pet fish, Seunghyun.”</p>
<p>“I can get them myself, you know.”</p>
<p>“Then why were you asking me every five days for it?” Daesung steals a meatball from Seunghyun’s plate.</p>
<p>“Good point. Things I want to be?”</p>
<p>“Master of claw <em>fucking</em> machine. Why, Seunghyun, why.”</p>
<p>“Hey, a man can dream!”</p>
<p>“Anything that makes you sleep at night.”</p>
<p>“And?”</p>
<p>“Huh?” Daesung frowns. “<em>And</em>?”</p>
<p>“The...thing I want to be?”</p>
<p>Daesung’s stomach clenches unpleasantly. He has to swallow his food so he won’t choke up. “Jiyong’s boyfriend.”</p>
<p>Seunghyun stares at him for a long time before shaking his head. “Terminator.”</p>
<p>“Ha ha.”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Seunghyun smiles but it doesn’t reach his eyes. The mood has been shifted drastically and Daesung bites back an apology. “Funny.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’ve been thinking.”</p>
<p>“Don’t hurt yourself,” Seunghyun responds quickly but not fast enough to prevent himself from getting hit with a book on his head.</p>
<p>“Be grateful, you shit.”</p>
<p>“Be careful with your friend, asshole.”</p>
<p>“Hard to do when he’s such a shit.”</p>
<p>Seunghyun chuckles. “Just spill the thought, kid.”</p>
<p>“First of all, I’m only a year younger so you have no right to call me <em>kid</em>. Second, we need a way to convince him.”</p>
<p>Seunghyun raises his eyebrow. “Oh?”</p>
<p>“Like... I don’t know. What –what are you expecting to happen?”</p>
<p>“That he’ll dump his person and be with me?” Seunghyun snorts. “What do you think I want to happen, Daesung?”</p>
<p>“Right,” Daesung closes his eyes, trying to breathe normally at his chest hurting. “You’re on a mission to steal someone else’s boyfriend.</p>
<p>“...No.”</p>
<p>At that, Daesung smiles bitterly. “There’s only me here, Seunghyun. You can’t possibly want to impress me with that.”</p>
<p>“No, that was...I –,” Seunghyun sits up and lays his head on Daesung’s shoulder. “I want him to be happy.”</p>
<p>“With you.”</p>
<p>“With anyone he wants to be with.”</p>
<p>“But –”</p>
<p>“But I wish it were me, yeah,” Seunghyun exhales loudly. “And it wasn’t me.”</p>
<p>“Seunghyun.”</p>
<p>“I –I want to see him. One more time.”</p>
<p>“You will.”</p>
<p>“<em>We</em> will.”</p>
<p>Daesung pats his hair. “Hey.”</p>
<p>“I’m...jealous.”</p>
<p>“You love him.”</p>
<p>“I do,” Seunghyun reaches for his hand and squeezes. “For sixteen years.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, Seunghyun.”</p>
<p>“...Me too, Daesung.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Where are we going to meet them?”</p>
<p>“Airport,” Seunghyun puts down his brush and smears another red as he wipes his hand on the apron. He’s been doing some real paintings recently, after years of sketching casually. “We’re picking them up.”</p>
<p>“Then?”</p>
<p>“Drop them by the hotel?”</p>
<p>Daesung rolls his eyes. “The date?”</p>
<p>“Oh,” Seunghyun pats some blue on his canvas. “The next day.”</p>
<p>“So we’re meeting them on Saturday?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.”</p>
<p>“A week.”</p>
<p>“Like I’ve said.”</p>
<p>“Asshole.”</p>
<p>“Stop fidgeting.”</p>
<p>“What?” Daesung finally looks up from his book. “Who died and made you king?”</p>
<p>“I’m trying to draw you, you shit.”</p>
<p>Daesung tries his best to fight the blush rising to his cheeks. “Wh –why?”</p>
<p>“Strange object?” Seunghyun shrugs.</p>
<p>“Fuck you,” Daesung scoffs. “Fuck off, Seunghyun.”</p>
<p>Seunghyun laughs. “Stay still, I’m almost finished.”</p>
<p>“See if I will.”</p>
<p>Seunghyun picks a tube of white. “Attitude.”</p>
<p>“You like me.”</p>
<p>“I do,” Seunghyun nods. “But Jiyong will be shocked.”</p>
<p>“You said he’ll like me.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, he’ll be surprised that I pick a friend just <em>like</em> him. Or he won’t?” Seunghyun smiles to himself. “Mouthy bastard, both of you.”</p>
<p>Daesung’s heart throbs painfully. “...Whatever.”</p>
<p>“A week.”</p>
<p>“A week,” Daesung throws his book and starts walking around just to be annoying.</p>
<p>Seunghyun groans. “Just a bit more, Daesung!”</p>
<p>“I’m not easy, Seunghyun.”</p>
<p>“Not even for me?”</p>
<p>“Especially for you,” Daesung lies through his teeth and it tastes like asphalt in his throat. “Never.”</p>
<p>“Fuck you.”</p>
<p>“Maybe later,” Daesung pockets his key and gets out of the door, trying to craddle his broken heart before it’s too late.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Monday</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“We need a story.”</p><p>Daesung grunts incoherently as he squints his eyes to read the time on his phone. “The fuck, Seunghyun? It’s three!”</p><p>“I know, I –we need a story, Daesung.”</p><p>“I don’t know what you’re talking about but waking me up at ass o’clock to hear a story sounds like a kink I don’t want to explore nor that I ever want to know, Seunghyun.”</p><p>“You –,” Seunghyun exhales annoyingly. “Shut up.”</p><p>“...So that was definitely your kink?”</p><p>“God,” Seunghyun laughs and Daesung feels a smile tugs on his lips. “Why am I putting myself with you?”</p><p>“Because I’m good but flattery will get you nowhere, mister.”</p><p>“At least I tried.”</p><p>“Your score is one out of a hundred.”</p><p>“Jerk.”</p><p>“Now you’re calling me names. I’m hanging up.”</p><p>“No, wait!”</p><p>“What is it, Seunghyun?” Daesung yawns. “I was sleeping.”</p><p>“I...I called Jiyong to –to ask about his flight details and hotel and...stuff, you know? Then –are you listening?”</p><p>Daesung hums absentmindedly.</p><p>“He told me about his person. How they met and all.”</p><p>“...And?”</p><p>“And...we need stories like that?”</p><p>Daesung huffs. “Just tell him that we met in a creative writing class. No need to lie for that kind of shit.”</p><p>“And –and how did we become...lovers?”</p><p>“...You like me?”</p><p>“For fuck’s sake, Daesung,” Seunghyun scolds in defeat. “I <em>do</em> like you, but it’s not like that.”</p><p><em>It’s not</em>, Daesung thinks sourly. <em>It’s definitely not</em>.</p><p>“We need to come up with stories of how we meet and...you know.”</p><p>“No, I don’t, Seunghyun.”</p><p>“Daesung.”</p><p>“Seunghyun, it’s almost four and I need to get up in two hours if I want to make it to work, okay? Can we talk about this later?”</p><p>“Alright, I’m sorry.”</p><p>“Don’t...panic. Don’t panic, okay? We’re doing this, we’re gonna be fine.”</p><p>“Yeah, okay. I just...I didn’t know what to tell him when he asked about that.”</p><p>“So what did you say?”</p><p>“That I love you?”</p><p>Daesung clutches on his phone tighter. “What a lie.”</p><p>“...Not really? I like you, okay. No need to put down my true feelings just because I dragged us into this mess.”</p><p>“Let’s come up with better stories later.”</p><p>“Hmm. Beauty sleep first?”</p><p>“Beauty sleep first.”</p><p>“Good night, Daesung.”</p><p>“It’s morning, Seunghyun.”</p><p>Seunghyunu grimaces at that. “Sorry.”</p><p>“Hmm.”</p><p>“Sleep tight, I’ll see you in the morning.”</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p> Monday, October 19<sup>th</sup> 2020. 8:39</p><p>
  <em>Dinner at my place?</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Monday, October 19<sup>th</sup> 2020. 8:40</p><p>
  <em>I have few ideas.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Monday, October 19<sup>th</sup> 2020. 8:41</p><p>
  <em>And conditions.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Daesung sighs loudly. “Seriously,” he mutters to himself. “Stop having ideas.”</p><p>“Isn’t that what they’re paying us for?” Jieun counters him from the next cubicle. “Or they aren’t?”</p><p>“Quit it, Jieun.”</p><p>“Can’t,” she stands to look at him over the thin wall separating them. “I’m bored.”</p><p>“You’re supposed to be working.”</p><p>“I’m supposed to be writing shit about people’s love life.”</p><p>“Huh, sounds fun.”</p><p>“It is. So what’s about ideas? You getting any?”</p><p>Daesung turns his monitor at her to show his blank document. “A lot.”</p><p>Jieun reaches out to pat his head. “You will.”</p><p>“Hopefully so.”</p><p>“So...not stopping having ideas then?”</p><p>Daesung clucks his tongue. “Don’t you have your own work to do?”</p><p>“I need to write about people’s life. You are people.”</p><p>“You’re not writing about me or my non-existant love life.”</p><p>“I could be,” Jieun shrugs. “Come on, give me something here? I’m stuck.”</p><p>“So am I, Jieun.”</p><p>“We...trade?”</p><p>“I don’t suppose you have any ideas about anything at this moment?”</p><p>“Shoot,” Jieun grins sheepishly. “Maybe I will? After you tell me.”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>Jieun groans and falls back on her seat. “Fine,” she grumbles. “I’m doing this myself.”</p><p> </p><p>Monday, October 19<sup>th</sup> 2020. 8:53</p><p>
  <em>I’ll drop you lunch? Onigiri and coffee?</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>“Hey, Jieun.”</p><p>“Hmm?”</p><p>“You...write about people, right?”</p><p>“That’s my job, Daesung.”</p><p>“Like...whatever kind of people...right?”</p><p>Jieun laughs. “I have a column to fill every month about people’s love life, the recent love habit, the disgustingly cheesy rom-coms any couple should watch, or whatever the shit I could get my hands into, so yes, Daesung?”</p><p>“...And –and you’re going to give the objective comments on that...right?”</p><p>“It’s literally in the company rules that we have to write objectively about stuff we’re writing about? What is a columnist again?”</p><p>“No –I mean, yes, I know that, I –I was thinking what you’re going to say about...something.”</p><p>“What’s <em>something</em>? You’re giving me ideas now?”</p><p>“What do you think about...pretending to be lovers?”</p><p>“Excuse me?”</p><p>“You know...pretending.”</p><p>“Like...friends with benefits thing? That’s been popular for years but I’ve written about that.”</p><p>“No, no...more like...you pretend to be someone else’s boyfriend to...to fool someone else?”</p><p>“...An escort?”</p><p>“No, God,” Daesung groans. “No money, okay?”</p><p>“I’m confused.”</p><p>“What if...what if your friend asked you to be his lover so he could fool the person he loves?”</p><p>“...Why would he do that?”</p><p>“Because that person already had someone.”</p><p>“That’s...uncommon.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Daesung sighs, finally clicking close on the blank page he’s been trying to fill with words. “Just...a thought.”</p><p>“Hmm.”</p><p>“I’m weird.”</p><p>“Honestly? Yes, you are.”</p><p>“Thanks for the confidence boost, ma’am.”</p><p>Jieun laughs amusedly. “That sounds dangerous.”</p><p>“Oh?”</p><p>“To the hearts. Seriously, how many people would get hurt in that scenario? The person pretending to be the boyfriend, the person that’d been lied to, not to mention the person who came up with such ideas would still get his heart broken at the end.”</p><p>“Yeah, that’s –,” Daesung swallows hard at the thought. “That’s ridiculous.”</p><p>“If I go to the street, how many people would I find to ever have this kind of...situation, you think?”</p><p>“Maybe just one,” Daesung replies as he types <em>okay</em> and hits send.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Dinner later?” Seunghyun hands him the lunch bag and Starbucks’ newest tumblr collection. “I’ll make something.”</p><p>“What, a stomachache?”</p><p>“I’m not that bad,” Seunghyun elbows him playfully. “So, yes?”</p><p>“Yeah, okay.”</p><p>“Okay, I’ll tell you my ideas later. Gotta go, got a tight schedule.”</p><p>“You need to stop having ideas, that’s dangerous.”</p><p>“Says you.”</p><p>“And you don’t have to get me lunch if you’re in such hurry, you idiot.”</p><p>“You didn’t answer my texts.”</p><p>“I...I was thinking.”</p><p>Seunghyun looks at him and sighs. “You know you can back down, right?”</p><p>“...What?”</p><p>“This,” Seunghyun shrugs. “I can just tell him that we broke up...or something.”</p><p>“What –no, that’s not what I meant.”</p><p>“I...I didn’t want to ruin us.”</p><p>“You won’t.”</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>Daesung takes a sip of his latte. “It’s fine. I was just thinking about work, no worries.”</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>“Go.”</p><p>“Right,” Seunghyun pokes his cheek. “See you.”</p><p>“Get some nice photos for once.”</p><p>Seunghyun juts his tongue out at the mock. “Just write your goddamn column!”</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>“I have no idea what am I looking at?”</p><p>Seunghyun pushes him aside. “Quit fussing, I’m trying, okay?”</p><p>“Seunghyun,” Daesung mocks him playfully. “I’ve known you for four years and there’s never <em>never</em> a moment when I thought that you’re great at cooking.”</p><p>“I’m good at taking pictures of food.”</p><p>“That’s why you’re a fucking photographer and not a chef, you dumbass.”</p><p>Seunghyun groans and finally puts the wooden spoon down. “I’ve done everything they wrote in the recipe, I swear.”</p><p>Daesung snatches the suspicious looking paper from his hand. “...I didn’t see any pasta here?”</p><p>“That’s because I’m not done making the sauce yet,” Seunghyun stares at the supposed-to-be-red liquid on the pan mournfully.</p><p>“Where’s the pasta then?”</p><p>“It’s in –” Seunghyun’s jaw clicks shut as his eyes widening in realization. “I forgot to buy it. I was too busy looking for the ingredients for the sauce.”</p><p>Daesung snorts at him. “Seunghyun, <em>what</em>.”</p><p>“Guess we’re ordering in tonight,” Seunghyun’s shoulders slump as he turns the stove off. “What are you in the mood for?”</p><p>“Chinese?”</p><p>“You got it.”</p><p>“Do we take a picture of your disaster sauce before I dump them in the sink?”</p><p>“Shut up, kid.”</p><p>“What are you gonna do without me, Seunghyun.”</p><p>Seunghyun pinches his cheek. “Right, can do nothing without you.”</p><p><em>That’s not true,</em> Daesung says to himself afterwards. <em>Not true at all.</em></p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p>“My idea,” Seunghyun starts as Daesung chews his last pot sticker.</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“You haven’t even heard about it.”</p><p>Daesung laughs. “Sounds dangerous already.”</p><p>“Don’t talk with your mouth full.”</p><p>The younger man shrugs. “What is it?”</p><p>“We can...practice?”</p><p>“I...beg you pardon?”</p><p>“You know,” Seunghyun looks up at the ceiling like it’s the most interesting thing ever invented. “The boyfriend thing.”</p><p>Daesung’s stomach makes a twist. “We <em>what</em>? What –what do you mean by practice?”</p><p>“You...can stay here? We...act?”</p><p>“No, wait –what? You –what’s going on in your mind, Seunghyun?”</p><p>“Like...like you said. We need to convince him.”</p><p>“<em>You</em> need to convince him. I’ll just go along with whatever you pull us through.”</p><p>“I –” Seunghyun pulls his hair in frustration. “I don’t think I can do this alone.”</p><p>“You’re not,” Daesung rushes to comfort him before he can think better of it. “Alone, you know.”</p><p>“I –I don’t want Jiyong to think that I lied to him about this.”</p><p>“But that’s <em>exactly</em> what we’re gonna do.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Seunghyun closes his eyes tiredly. “Is that –is that weird that I hope he wouldn’t find out? That –that I want him to think that I –I’m happy too. That I’m –I’m doing just <em>fine</em> with...life, I guess.”</p><p>“...You guess.”</p><p>“Yeah...he’s kind of...protective over me ever since we were kids. When he moved out to New York, I couldn’t stop crying. I –”</p><p>“Miss him so much, I know.”</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>“And you want to make sure that he’s not going to worry about you.”</p><p>“This is...weird.”</p><p>“Aren’t you always?”</p><p>“Ever thinking about switching career line, Daesung? With all the funny jokes you have?”</p><p>“Ha ha. Okay.”</p><p>“That’s –I just...” Seunghyun whines sadly. “I want him to worry about me. I –I want him to look at me, to love me, but...but if he has his person, I –I want him to be happy with <em>that</em> person.”</p><p>“I know, Seunghyun.”</p><p>“Just...I –I’m not sure how to do it by myself.”</p><p>“Don’t worry,” Daesung pulls him close until Seunghyun’s head tucked under his chin. “I’m here.”</p>
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